1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chip structures, such as chip sockets and plugs, housed within a stick which is to be mounted on a stick feeder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chip mounting machines are used to mount chip structures (connectors), such as clip sockets and plugs, on boards. The chip mounting machines include stick feeders. The stick feeders feed a number of sticks each housing a number of chip structures, such as chip sockets or plugs, to the next process station.
FIGS. 9-12 show two types of conventional chip structures; a chip socket 1 and a 14 chip plug 2.
In FIGS. 9 and 10, the chip socket 1 includes a socket body 3 which has a pair of positioning projections 4 extending downwardly from the bottom surface 3a and a pair of L-shaped reinforcing brackets 5 and 6 on opposite sides. Each reinforcing bracket 5 or 6 has an engagement hole 8 on the vertical leg 7 for engagement with an engaging projection 9 of the socket body 3, thereby attaching the reinforcing bracket 5 or 6 to the socket body 3. The horizontal leg 10 of the reinforcing bracket 5 or 6 is parallel to the bottom surface 3a.
Similarly, as FIGS. 11 and 12 show, the chip plug 2 includes a plug body 11 which has a pair of positioning projections 4 and a pair of reinforcing brackets 5 and 6.
As FIG. 13 shows, a number of chip structures 12, such as chip sockets 1 or chip plugs 2, are aligned in a line within a stick 13 such that the edges 10a of the adjacent horizontal legs 10 are brought into contact with each other.
As FIG. 8 shows, the stick 34 is obliquely mounted on a stick feeder 14 for feeding the chips 12 one by one from the lowest one without breaking the contact between the adjacent horizontal legs 10.
As FIG. 14 shows, however, the adjacent horizontal legs 10 can overlap because of vibrations, etc., making the assembling robot fail to accurately position the chips 12 on the board.